A wide variety of trailers are known for carrying cargo. For example, van type trailers typically include a deck assembly supported by a side wall structure, wheels and front legs. The deck assembly may include longitudinal floor boards and transverse cross-members, such as I-beams, extending between opposing bottom rails. The deck transfers its load to the bottom rails, wheels, and, depending upon whether or not the trailer is coupled to a tractor or is free-standing, to a tractor fifth wheel or to retractable front legs on the trailer.
In a monocoque type trailer, individual interior side wall panel members and an outer skin are joined together, often by a post, channel or zee-shaped structural member, and to a subframe to form a self-supporting body construction. The outer skin and inner panel members may carry some of the stresses between the posts, floor and roof of the trailer.
For example, it is known for the interior panels and the outer skin to attach to a plurality of vertical posts spaced apart along the trailer side wall. Referring to the cross-sectional view of a prior art vertical post shown in FIG. 1, a vertical post 1 includes a longitudinal central section 2 and a pair of first longitudinal flanges 3 disposed on either side of central section 2 and recessed from central section 2 between the central section and an outer skin 4. The outer skin is fastened to a pair of second longitudinal flanges 5 by any suitable means, such as rivets (not shown). Side wall liner panels 6 are attached to the posts at first longitudinal flanges 3 by tapit pins 7.
It is known to include a scuff band along the interior surface of a trailer wall to prevent damage to the wall when cargo is loaded into or removed from the trailer. If provided, the protective scuff band generally protrudes into an otherwise useable storage area within the trailer.
The present invention recognizes and addresses the foregoing considerations, and others, of prior art construction and methods. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved trailer.
This and other objects are achieved by a trailer having a floor and first side wall that extends vertically upward from a side edge of the floor. The side wall includes a plurality of elongated vertical posts. Each post defines a longitudinal interior surface with a first portion disposed in a generally common plane and a second portion recessed from the plane. A scuff band is received within the recessed portions so that an interior facing surface of the scuff band is generally coplanar with or inward of the side wall""s interior surface.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.